This message archived at:
http://www.politechbot.com/2004/07/06/patriot-act/
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Legislative Alert: Freedom to Read Act
Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 22:37:15 -0400
From: Stephen Cobb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Declan McCullagh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Declan...I thought this might be of interest...Stephen
To: Members of the Book and Library Community
From: Campaign for Reader Privacy, http://www.readerprivacy.org
Re: URGENT–House Votes Next Week on Freedom to Read Amendment!
We have just learned that the U.S. House of Representatives will vote next
week on an amendment that cuts off Justice Department funding for searches
of bookstore and library records under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will offer a Freedom to Read Amendment
to the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Bill of 2005. The amendment
is co-sponsored by Ron Paul (R-TX), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), C.L. "Butch"
Otter (R-ID), and Jerry Nadler (D-NY).
The prospects for victory appear good. Last year, over 300 House members
voted to bar the Justice Department from using its appropriation to
implement another controversial provision of the PATRIOT Act, "sneak and
peak" searches. Had Bernie not run into technical problems, he would have
offered the Freedom to Read Amendment then, and it probably would have passed.
But we can't win unless we generate a lot of telephone calls, faxes and
e-mails to House members between now and Wednesday or Thursday when the
CJS bill will be on the floor for a vote. It doesn't help matters that we
have less than a week to get out the word and that the Fourth of July
weekend will shorten our time even more.
Therefore, please call your House member's Washington office TODAY and
tell whoever answers the phone that you urge their boss to vote "yes" on
"the Sanders-Paul-Conyers-Otter-Nadler Freedom to Read Amendment to the
Commerce, Justice and State appropriations bill." ("CJS bill" is the
Congressional shorthand for the appropriations legislation.) Then,
immediately follow up by faxing a note containing the same message on your
letterhead.
If you need contact information for your Congress member, you can use the
"Contact Congress" search aid on the Campaign for Reader Privacy Web site,
http://www.readerprivacy.org, or go directly to the U.S. House of
Representatives Web site, http://www.house.gov/writerep. (You can send an
e-mail through the House Web site, but telephone calls and faxes get more
attention.)
Section 215 has created a dangerous chilling effect on First Amendment
rights by giving the FBI the power to secretly search the bookstore and
library records of anyone it believes may have information relevant to a
foreign intelligence investigation. In March 2003, Sanders introduced the
Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157) to restore the protections for
customer privacy eliminated by the Patriot Act. The bill has gained wide
support and is co-sponsored by 145 House members in both parties.
However, the House leadership is refusing to hold a hearing on H.R. 1157.
The Freedom to Read Amendment will give supporters of the bill an
opportunity to achieve its purpose through the appropriations process.
Please help us spread the word about the importance of calling Congress
today! Feel free to forward this memo or to use any part of it.
Thank you for acting quickly!
Christopher Finan, president
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression
139 Fulton St., Suite 302
New York, NY 10038
telephone (212) 587-4025
fax (212) 587-2436
www.abffe.com
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